Binder



Noq. 16, 1937.` y G. s. EMI-:RY Y 2,099,472

BINDER Filed Aug. 24, 1955 l Z5 f viz 46 4! 455 47 Z7 Z7 i l I f5, 9 ,L-Y 2. @aye f1/1e!! za N ma W1 Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES BummGeorge S. Emery, Tulsa, Okla. Application 'August 24, 19,35, serial No.'37,135

claims.. (ci. 12s-#1) Tjhis invention relates to loose leafbinders andmore particularly to binders ofthe type in which provision is made forvarying their capacity. An important object of the invention is to pro-5 vide a binder of what may be termed the doublepost unit typen whichthe posts are adapted to be extended in height to provide for theaccumulation of sheets in the binder, the invention in its preferredform contemplating the provision of a pluralityof cylindrical postsections threadedly connected together and variable as to height byrotation of one memberV within another.

Another object of the invention is' to provide a binder in which thecompanion posts of each double-post binding unit are united by anarcuate connector, one end of the connector being resiliently mounted inoneI of the posts, so as to permit the connector to be raised againstspring tension. and the other end of the connector having an axialprojection or pilot adapted to seat,

` upon the release of the connector, in a socket carried upon the end ofthe other post. By this arrangement the connector may bereadilydisengagedfrom the latter post and swung to outof-the-wayposition to allow the convenient -association or disassociation ofperforated sheets with the post, and then reengaged with the pilotmaintained in the socket of the post by spring pressure so as to avoidaccidental displacement therefrom.

The invention has as another object to provide, in a binder of theexpansible type having a bottom and a. top cover connected to a backmember, which serves to protect the rear edges of the stack of boundsheets, means for increasing the width'of the back member from time totime in correspondence with variationsl in the height of thefstack ofcontained sheets due to the accumulation of sheets in the binder or towithdrawals 40 therefrom. More particularly this object is ac-ycomplished in the preferred form of my invention by hingedlyrconnectingthe bottom and top covers to a back member composed' of a plurality y ofrigid complementary sectionsarranged to be detachably connected atv oradjacent their longitudinal edges and permitting the insertion of Vsupplementary sections to expand the width of the back. The sections maybe advantageously united edge-toledge by a tight'frictionaltongueand-groove fit, a suitable numberl of supplemental sections beingprovided to allow widening the r back member tosan extentcorrespondingto the4 full capacity ofl the-,binder'as vdetermined by thel4adjustability affordedb'ythebindingrposts. An. alternative form of backmember within one of. the double-post units;

of Fig. 1'

the scope of my invention contemplates forming the back of a pluralityof rigid relatively shiftable sections; and providing means forretaining the sections in their different positions of adjustment. 5

` Still another object of my invention is to provide a binder having topand bottom covers of rigid construction which are extensible in alengthwise direction to'adapt the binder to the accommodation of sheetsof different lengths and 10 thus fully protect the edges ofl the slleetswhich would otherwise project beyond :the lower end of the binder.According to the preferred form of the invention, the covers arecomposed of aplul rality of transverse sections having a sliding 15interiit one with another in a manner such that one cover section may beseparated or closed together lengthwisel with respect to an adjacentsection to vary the dimensions of the covers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention 20 will become apparentfrom the following detailed description of .typical binderconstructionsl embodying the novel features of my invention, referencebeing had to the annexed drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a binder of the double-post unit typeconstructed in accordance with the principles ofthe invention;

Figure 2 is a detail view, in part sectional, of

' 30 cross-sectional view line l33 Figure 3 is fragmentary through thebottom cover along the Figurel 4 is a detailed perspective view of oneend of a muitisection back member showing the 35 1 sections separated;and i Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternative form of backwhich may be employed with the binder of Fig. 1.

The binder illustrated in Fig; 1 comprises a flat 40 vbottom cover 2li.`and a fiat top cover 2| (one end only being shown), made of rigidmaterial such as pulpboard, having their ends hinged to a multipart backmember 22 also of rigid material. The covers are of substantiallyidentical 45 construction and mounted upon the bottom cover adjacent itsrear transverse edge are a plurality of double-post units 23 arrangedin'parallel intermediate the side margins of the cover, and

'each comprising two'posts 2l and 25 spaced a short distance apartlengthwise of the cover and joined at their tops by an arcuate shapedconnector` 25a.

As best shown in Fis. 2, the two posts oi. each unitlare constructedexactly alike. The post 24 55 consists of a stud 26 which is oppositelythreaded upon its two ends and is provided with an enlargedcircumferential ring 21 intermediate its CTI ' ond cylindrical sleeve32.

length. One end` of the stud projects through an opening 28 formedthrough the bottom cover and projects a suliicient distance beyond thelower surface of this cover to allow a nut 29 to be mounted upon itsextended end, so that by tightening this nut the cover` is firmlyclamped against the ring 21.

To the end of the stud which projects above the upper surface of thecover is connected a relatively short cylindrical sleeve 30 having asmooth circumference and its upper end being beveled inwardly asindicated atv 3l. The sleeve 30 is internally threaded throughout its'length and arranged to travel along this thread is a sec- The sleeve 32is of approximately the same length as sleeve 30 and is of smallerdiameter than the latter so as to be snugly received within the latter.Upon the lower end of sleeve 32 is flxedly mounted an annulus 32a whichisexteriorly threaded so as to cooperate with the threads upon theinterior of sleeve 3D whereby by rotating sleeve 32 with the fingers thesleeve is moved inwardly or outwardly of sleeve 3i) and toward or fromthe upper end of stud 26 which closes the bottom of the latter sleeve.The circumference of sleeve 32 is, similar to sleeve Sil, smoothsurfaced and beveled inwardly at its elevated end as indicated at 33.

As has already been stated post 25 is of exactly Vthe same constructionas post 24, corresponding parts being indicated by the same referencenumerals. The double-post unit thus is composed of a plurality oftelescopic sleeves having a smooth circumference and of slightlydiierent diameter which taper together to facilitate the passage ofperforated sheets along the posts.

The two `posts 24 and 25 of each double-post unit are joined at theirtops by the arcuate shaped connector 25a, which carries upon one end ahollow stem 35, having an annulus 36 xedupon its lower end threaded toengage the screw threads upon the interior of sleeve 32 and having a cap31 threadedly secured to the stem 35 and closing its upper end. Theconnector is maintained in association with the cap 31 and stem 35 bymeans of a pin 38 which is threaded into the bottom face of theconnector at one end and which passes through anopening in the cap 31.The other end 'of the pin 38 is provided with a circular head 40 whichsnugly fits within the inside of stem 35 and presents a bearing surfacefor one end of a spring Il which surrounds the pin and is under lightcompression between the head and the cap.

By rotating the pin the tension of the spring may be varied. The cap hasa down turned flange 42 which is interiorly threaded to engage threadsupon the upper end of the stern 35 in the assembly of the parts. f

The other end of the connector is provided 'with an axially disposedcylindrical pilot 45 which slips into a socket 46 formed in the upperend of a short plug 41 which is formed with an exterior- 1y screwthreaded boss at its lower end so as to engage the threads upon theinterior of sleeve 32 of post`25.

It will be apparent from the construction just described that in orderto place perforated sheets upon or remove them .from the post 25, it isonly necessary to raise the connector 25a against the action of spring4I a suicient distance to lift pilot 45 out of socket 46 and theconnector may then be rotated to out-of-the-way position as v indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 1. To reengage the connector, it is again raisedand swung back into alignment with the post 25 and the pilot droppedback into the socket 46. -The spring 4| yieldingly holds the connectorin place. Apertures 49 are advantageously provided in the walls of thescrew threaded parts of the unit for engagement with a, pin (not shown)to facilitate turning should the parts stick.

As sheets accumulate in the binder and the stack (indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 1) increases in height the pair of posts of the twodouble-post units of the binder may be extended by rotating sleeves 32within sleeves 3l, stem 35 within sleeve 32 on post 24 and plug 41within sleeve 32 on post 25. Thus a large amplitude of movement of theposts is aored and the binder can perform the duty of several binders ofthe older type, at the Same time having the advantage of compactnesswhen it is used for accommodating only a small volume of material.

The bottom and top covers 23 and 2l are of substantially counterpartconstruction except for the provision of longitudinal slots U in the topcover which provide clearances for the upper ends of the double-postunits, and since these units may be erected at different distances apartupon the bottom cover the slots will be sufficient in number andsuitably located to anticipate changes in the locations of thedouble-post units.

As sheets are added to the binder and the posts are extended, the backmember 22' must vbe widened to keep pace with the increasing height ofthe stack of bound sheets. This is accomplished by the followingconstruction. The top and bottom covers are connected to the back memberby means of spaced projections 55 formed on the end of the coversinteriitting between correspondingly spaced projections 56 carried uponthe longitudinal edges of end strips 51 and 58 and having pintles 59passing through, aligned recesses extending through the projections, asshown in Fig. 1, to hinge the covers to recesses 64 upon their oppositeedges, corresponding to the tongue and recess of the end strips areadapted to be inserted intermediate the end strips in the manner bestindicated in Fig. 4 so as to build up the back in small increments.While it is contemplated that these strips will be held together withsufficient firmness by means of the binding it between the tongues andgrooves, if desirable screws (not shown) may be passed `through openingsbetween these parts to positively retain them in association.

Both the bottom and top covers are made up of a plurality of separabletransverse sections, the three sections A, B and C composing the bottomcover 20 corresponding in all respects to the three transverse sectionscomposing the top cover 2l. As shown in Fig. 1 the end section A of thebottom cover is hinged to the back member 22 while the intermediatesection B is provided at its opposite edges with tongues 85 which snuglytit within complementary grooves 66 formed in the adjacent edgesof endsections A and C. As will be apparent from this constru( tion, thesections may be separated in a lengthwise4 manner, the-tongues 05sliding within the tion aligned in a direction lengthwise of the coversso as to allow any one of these openings to be brought into registrywith the complementary openings 1I in the tongues 65 oi the intermediatesection.

A modied form of extensible back member is A illustrated in-Flg. 5.Secured t0 the bottom and top covers -2l and 2i are ilat, sheet metalinserts 15, these inserts each carrying spaced cylindrical projections16- upon their longitudinal margins which extend beyond the end of thecover. These projections t into the spaces between complementaryprojections 11 carried upon the contiguous edge oi a plate 1l, suitablepintles 19 extending through the eyes of the projections -and hingingthemetal inserts and plates together.

The plates 1I which are connected to companion inserts overlie eachother for a substantial distance upon their longitudinal marginsopposite to Ithe margins carrying the projections 11.

and are held together by means of releasable .screws 80 passing throughelongated slots Il formed in the overlapped plates. The arrangement issuch that by unloosening the set screw the plates may be shiftedrelative to each other to widen or narrow' the back. To one of theplates 18 may be attached an index or label support B2.

It will be apparent that various other changesy in arrangement Ianddesign may be made in the binder constructions described above, whichare to be regarded as exemplary only of preferred forms which theinvention 'may take, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A loose leaf binder comprising a bottom cover composed of a pluralityof transverse sections, binding posts -supported upon the cover, andmeans uniting the transverse sections to permit separation of thesections in a direction lengthwise of the cover,

2. A looseleaf binder comprising a bottom cover composed of a pluralityof transverse sections, binding posts supported upon the cover,

a tongue-and-slot connection'between adjacent sections whereby one ofthe sections may be shifted relative to the other, and'means formaintaining said sections in their diierent adjusted positions.

3. In a loose leaf binder, a double-post binder unit comprising a pairof upright posts, each post including a plurality of sleeves ofappreciable length but of different diameters and each sleeve beingintericrly threaded for the major portion of its length, one of saidsleeves having an enlarged screw-threaded circumferential portionadjacent one of its ends adapted to cooperate with the internal threadsof an adjacent sleevel permitting the mst-mentioned sleeve to berotatably telescoped within the latter sleeve, an

arcuate-shaped connector bridging the upper ends of said pair of posts,anda swivel connection joining one end of said connector to one of saidposts so as to permit the other end of the connector to be swung intoand out of alignment with the other post.

4. In a loose leaf binder, a double-post binder unit comprising a pairof upright posts, each post including a plurality of sleeves ofapproximately the same length but of different diameters and each sleevebeing interiorly threaded for the major portion of its length, one ofsaid sleeves having an enlarged screw-threaded circumferential portionadjacent one of its ends adapted to cooperate with the internal threadsof an adjacent sleeve permitting the former sleeve to be p rotatablytelescoped within the latter sleeve, an

arcuate-shaped connector bridging the upper.

ends ot said pair of posts, a swivel connection joining one end of saidconnector to one of said posts so as to permit the other end of theconnector to be swung into and out of alignment with the other post, andspring means for yieldingly holding the ends of said connectorinengagement with the posts.

5. A loose leaf binder comprising a bottom cover, a pair of bindingposts supported upon the bottom cover adjacent one of its ends, saidbottom cover being composed of a plurality of transverse sections, atongue upon the transverse edge' of one of said sections engageabiewithin a slot in the opposed transverse edge of an adjacent section topermit of slidably adjusting one secof the rst-mentioned section.

GEORGE S. EMERY.

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